Learn to Program the Revit API

If you are interested in learning the Revit API Harry Mattison (Boost Your BIM) created an online course hosted at Udemy (The Academy of You).

It's delivered in 33 video segments which vary from a few minutes to a little over fifteen minutes. It's also very reasonably priced at $149.00. Maybe I'll see you on campus?

Learn to Program the Revit API

Revit 2014 API Languages

Revit 2014 has added a couple new language options for people who can speak to Revit through its API (application programming interface). If you have a long history with CAD you might have spent more than a few hours "Lost in parenthesis" (LISP)? In Revit we can get lost in them when we deal with conditional formulas in the family editor.

In Revit 2013 the API supported two languages C++ and C# (technically any VB.net language). Revit 2014 has added Ruby (aka Ruby on Rails) and Python. If you have no programming experience they are not gems or reptiles, just alternatives to the far more widely used C++ and the much newer C# (and supposedly "easier to learn").

The dialog is a little smaller too (really subtle eh?).

If you are looking to get started with the Revit API you might consider Don Rudder's book:

Instant Autodesk Revit 2013 Customization with .NET How-to

Looking for some hands-on training with a sherpa? Get in touch with Harry Mattison (Boost Your BIM), he's gone from deep within Autodesk working on Revit and its API to the life of a freelancer who shares his knowledge on his blog and creates applications for hire. He's started offering some online training too.

Don Rudder and Case-inc have also offered API focused training in the past and are always considering hosting another so keep an eye on their site for a future class offering.

I've also written a couple blog posts before about getting started with the API (though I'm still remiss in taking it seriously myself).

Getting Started with the Revit API
My First Revit Plug-in

Years ago when I did some programming more seriously I found the book "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell quite helpful to help understand the process and concepts.

Happy coding!

Case App Delete Sheets Views and Links

This application will strip a model down so that just the 3Dness of the model is left. I feel it is a bit too aggressive in that it even removes all floor plans. There are lots of unnecessary views to be sure but having at least one floor plan for each level can be helpful. Also there are many who end up using "By Linked Views" to make sure what they are seeing is the same as whomever provided the model.

I am not convinced that removing views is really worth doing routinely. I'm inclined to think that only the super large projects might warrant resorting to doing so in order to reduce linked file size and loading times.

Odd quirk with the User Interface is the pair of OK buttons.

I hear Pee Wee Herman saying, "Okay okay..."

Image-O-Matic

Earlier I wrote that Harry started a blog (Boost Your BIM) focused on using the Revit API to enhance your projects and process. He created his first formal application, Image-O-Matic, which is now available on the Autodesk Exchange. When I first saw it I thought about using it to document testing family parameters and types.

He decided to run a contest to encourage Revit users to get acquainted with the app. He offered up a tantalizing video of Marcello Sgambelluri's work to get your creative urge going. Visit his site for all the contest details. Here's an embedded copy of the video he posted.

Whitefeet Utilities Updated for 2012

Mario tweeted earlier today that he's updated his utilities for Revit 2012. It's good timing, I was just going to ask him about his Sheet Set Manager too! It allows you to update sheet list schedule from Excel data or vice versa.

He started Whitefeet some years ago and returned to doting on it after departing HOK and joining Perkins & Will. Unfortunately for us, his full time gig with Perkins and Will means he's got little or no time to dote on "the feet" again.

Worth checking out his tools, see if you like them!

Wall Creator by Clark Dietrich

Steve Bennett shared his insight about a new Revit wall tool he's been beta testing recently.

ClarkDietrich publicly asked for some beta testing assistance this past May. I haven't used it myself but Steve seems pretty pleased with what he's experienced using it. Check it out!

Here's a You Tube video from their site:

Dept. of Echo - My First Revit Plug-in

The Autodesk blog BIM APPS revealed a new website aimed at helping people who want to get started with the api.

Emile Kfouri writes:
Are you an Autodesk Revit power user with an interest in becoming even more productive? Would you like to automate or extend the capabilities of Revit, but are new to computer programming? Are you envious of all the really cool add-ins that others are developing and you want to join the fold or show them you can do better. If so, then this guide is designed for you.

“My First Plug-in” is a self-paced tutorial guide for a smooth introduction into the programming world. This is a “one-stop shop” learning path for users who know Autodesk products but are absolutely new to programming and are thinking about taking the plunge. In this guide, you will be working with the Autodesk Revit .NET API and the C# programming language. The supported product version is Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011 and succeeding versions.

Check it out and give them feedback via EMAIL.

API Throw Down - Rod Howarth

Luke who blogs via What Revit Wants put out a challenge for the API and those who speak "it" to provide a tool to inform him about productivity in Revit.

Such as:

• Ensure I (Luke) am using keyboard shortcuts where possible
• Avoid triggering commands unnecessarily, and thus having to abort them and retry

Rod Howarth decided to take him up on the challenge and wrote a post on his own blog that anybody who reads this blog is likely to be interested in seeing too.

Rod writes (partial snippet):
...snip
The result is a utility that I’ve developed that will take a look through your journal files and identify your most commonly used menu items, along with your most commonly used keyboard shortcuts. The idea is that you can run this utility and assess what commands you should add a keyboard shortcut to, in order to make your Revit usage more efficient.
...snip

Check it out!

To get the tool and run it on your own computer, download it from HERE. He writes: "Let me know how it goes for you!".

Also, if you are interested in the source code, it’s available on GitHub. If you don’t have Git (you should check it out!) you can download the source code as a Zip.

[Added March 30, 2011] Jose Guia offers up his own version of a response to the challenge HERE. Luke writes that it is a bit more advanced than Rod's.

Autodesk Labs Plug-in of the Month Update - RoomRenumbering

Nice bit of news in my Google Reader feed this morning! Since my previous post they've improved on the first release of the plug-in. Here's what's new from It is Alive in the Lab:

• Added support for door renumbering
• Added support for the form to adjust to Windows Display and DPI settings
• Form is not topmost anymore, that is, it does not cover other applications' windows
• Added "Zero padding" option to the assigned number, e.g. 009 instead of 9.
• Added support for windows and spaces
• Restructured the code (source included in the download) to make it much easier to add support for other object types

With this update, this plugin can be used to renumber or re-assign the "Number" properties of rooms or "Mark" property of doors in the order that the user selects while avoiding duplicated assignments. The command allows the user to specify the starting number with the option of the prefix and suffix added.

GO GET IT!

Probably needs a new name now?

Didn't take long, now my Hackalicious post is irrelevant!

Revit API and 3D Views

Thought I'd mention a post from David Baldacchino on his blog "Do U Revit?". He wrote that he has often wished for a faster way to generate 3D views that are cropped down around a specific part of the project, just by selecting something in the view already, like a stair or furniture. He got busy and forgot about it but he revived it this morning. His friend at B.I.M.M. (a German Company) wrote something for him for free and said he can share it too!

I think it's cool that my friend David (originally from Malta) has a friend in Germany that will share something like this with the rest of us, globalization, global community in action!

Read all about it here and check out B.I.M.M. (you may need to be able to read German as they are working on a English version of the site).

Revit API - Getting Started

I keep meaning to do this myself. I was gathering information and happened to see a post at the Revit Forum asking the same question essentially so I posted my response there and here.

Ignoring the question of which language to focus on...well, if you've got no programming experience already supposedly C# (C sharp) is "easiest" to learn. Otherwise any language you are already familiar with, assuming you are familiar with .net too, will work (your mileage may vary).

I'd start by getting acquainted with Jeremy Tammik's blog and read his older post Getting Started with Revit API 2009. Then his more recent follow up post Getting Started with the Revit API 2010. A third post regarding Getting Started references Rod Howarth's contributions.

You'll want to watch the DevTV videos.

These are the Revit API blogs I'm familiar with:

The Building Coder (Jeremy Tammik)
Bolt out of the Red (Guy Robinson)
Rod Howarth
Revitnet (Don Rudder)
Daren@Work (Daren Thomas)
CAD App Development (Matt Mason)
Revit APP Blog (Bruce)
Revit Programing (Ed Pitt)

The list is in the order for my current ranking based on their posting frequency/quantity/quality etc. However, all of them put together might barely equal the output by Jeremy Tammik alone (he's prolific) but they each offer stuff you'll probably find interesting at some point.

Dept. of Echo - Revit INI File

Jeremy Tammik posted some important information for those who deploy Revit and deal with external applications and commands. Much of the focus is on those who write the software but if you end up installing and coordinating the applications you'll benefit from reading through the info.

Jeremy starts with:

...snip...
Developers have always had a lot of complaints about the Revit.ini add-in registration facility. It was hard to access and modify the file in the Revit installation directory and the same file is shared by all users. Revit 2011 offers a completely new and vastly improved add-in registration facility using add-in manifest files. The new mechanism supports a number of new options and there is no reason to continue using the obsolete Revit.ini mechanism. {emphasis is mine}
...snip...

Short story, the Revit.ini file isn't likely to survive another release, at least not as far as external applications are concerned. Read ON!

Revit Inside - API

To answer a recent request, I've added a new category to Revit Inside to list firms that offer programming services using the Revit API. Happy programming!

Christmas Gift from Jason Grant - Sheet Creator

As I mentioned in an earlier post Jason has posted an application he wrote for Revit 2010. It allows the user to create sheets sequentially avoiding the opening and closing of dialogs that the existing process in Revit requires. His post has a video the demonstrates the tool in action as well. He also provides a step-by-step process to get it installed.

A still faster way to make sheets if the actually naming isn't very important yet is this TIP.

Revit Xmas Eve

Jason Grant is teasing us with a post promising a free tool to create sheets more easily and quickerer. It won't be available until Christmas eve so you'll have to be patient till then! They say patience is a virtue!

Revit Toolkit from Excitech - Coordinate Scheduling Tool

David Light's old firm Excitech has released a new tool that is free (for now) called Coordinate Scheduling Tool. It is intended to allow us to acquire X,Y,Z coordinates from certain Revit elements. It is currently limited to Revit 2010 versions and the 32Bit version of Windows XP/Vista (64 bit in development). This is an image of the Ribbon panel installed with the tool.

Here's a screen capture of User Options (snipped from their site).

Check it out!